386 SCIENCE TEACHING : EXAMINATIONS 
that had not studied plants for himself. I had also 
another object in my paper, which was the leading men 
to study plants rather than books. Every one but Henslow 
thinks my questions dreadful because nobody thinks of 
them. You must also remember that they had 8 hours ; 
and that my object was to give questions requiring 
thought rather than memory. What does Busk say to 
them ? 
Continuing the subject, he writes on September 12 : 
Sir C. Wood ^ has written me a powerfully flattering letter, 
asking me to accept the Examinership ! This is rather good 
after my name has been battledored and shuttlecocked in 
the medical papers for the best part of the month as I am 
told, for I have not read them yet. 
God knows there was no jobbery in my election. Of 
course I graciously accept ; and of course I get thanks for 
the same, from this pink of pohteness who seems a regular 
official Mantahni wdth his ' demnition sweetness.' What are 
Busk's ideas on the subject of the examinations ? I have 
long held that the Army, Navy, and E.I.C. examining good 
passed men of the Eoyal Colleges is a piece of the most con- 
founded impertinence. As to the Navy Examination we 
know what that was and I suppose is ; it has ahvays appeared 
to me that the said services should seek from the Colleges 
men proved by them to be first-class in their profession, and 
then let the Examiners of the services examine for accompKsh- 
ments and quahfications essential to shed lustre on the service 
and improve it. I am going to talk over this subject with 
Paget 2 to-morrow, but of course shall take no initiative and 
am rather groping my way in utter ignorance than anything 
else. The success of my Apoth. Co. examination has put new 
ideas into my head, and convinces me that even in Botany 
men at the examinations are rather to be expected to exert 
their reasoning faculties than their powders of memory. If 
we only reflect we shall see that the Oxford and Cambridge 
honours papers, and even high class examination and pass 
1 Sir Charles Wood (1800-85), created Viscount Hr lifax on his retirement 
from public life in 1866, had been Chancellor of the Exchequer under Lord 
John Russell from 1846-52, and in 1854 was President of the Board of Control 
and from 1859 Secretary of State for India. 
- (Sir) James Paget. Sec a7ite, p. 25. 
